I broadly agree with you Jez. The thing is about money and oil.

That's not to say that Saddam is not a low-life scum bag who should not be taken out. That should have happened a long time back. The really interesting question is, why did they leave him there after the LAST Gulf War? There are quite a few vets now living with the consequences of DU poisoning who were pretty frustrated at not being allowewd to finish the job then.

But the US wants war, and will get it. The consequences may be unimaginable. Especially when you consider the side involvement of maverick states like North Korea.

Read your history on what happened to the Roman Empire, how they became powerful, how they maintained power, and what eventually bought them down. The parallels are pretty scary.